Whispers In The Dark
by Beautiful Cerberus
Summary: Weeks after Abel's death, Esther attempts to fight insomnia, when she hears a voice. Oneshot. R and R.


**Disclaimer: Own Trinity Blood and its characters, I do not.**

**Summary: Esther is lying awake in bed, getting washed with insomnia. As she tries to suppress her sleeplessness, she hears a voice.**

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'_Go to sleep, Esther,_' the new Queen of Albion told herself as she lie awake and alone in bed. The moonlight shined into the room, filling only small crevices while others stood alone in total darkness. Feathery reflections of leaves from the trees ruffled on her floor. Outside, the wind knocked gently on the glass with cold, stone hands. Esther shivered even though the windows were tightly latched.

There had been many weeks of crying over Abel Nightroad's death. Thinking of it hit her hard like an oncoming truck. Her eyes had been itchy, swollen and bloodshot when she woke up in the morning, and whenever her tears took over. Her head ached non-stop, and no medicine helped. Sensitivity to light increased with each and every throb. It was a slow, menacing torture. How could she fulfill her duties as the Queen of Albion if she couldn't even suppress a migraine? How was she supposed to be Albion's 'Star of Hope' when she found herself devoid of it?

A little piece of her met its demise each time she thought of Abel. He had guided her. He had been there with her through everything. _'Not to see the ceremony of my becoming queen..' _Esther painfully reminded herself as she laid on her back. The moon struck her face, triggering a part of her head to tenderness. The wind outside swirled violently. Esther found herself becoming colder as the night plunged to its climax.

Sleep was gone. It had fleed her body the moment she laid down to retire. What was the point in trying now?

Esther lifted herself up, moving the sheets away from her body. The air constricted around the bare skin of her arms, chilling her to the bone. Lifting herself from the bed, she slipped on a robe with haste. Her stomach growled with thirst. What harm would a small cup of tea hurt before going back to bed? She walked across the dark, moonlit room to the door, and slipped out quietly.

The long, narrow hallway was lit by fire lamps on the walls on both sides. Crimson carpet covered the ground. Echoes punched the walls as Esther walked down toward the staircase. The new estate she lived in was very large, in the heart of Albion. Esther was still trying to get used to it's size, and was even exploring new parts of the home. She knew there were many rooms she hadn't seen. Frankly, it scared her. Everything about it seemed familiar. The Romanesque statues around the estate, the crisp chandeliers in every room, and the overall feeling made memories stab their way back into her mind. She found herself breaking each and everytime that occured. It reminded her of the old days.

It reminded her of Abel.

A tear sting her right eye as she descended down the lavishly decorated stairs. The large lobby was dark, unlit by the comfort of orange light. Only the moonlight broke into the house through the artistically blessed windows. A shiver ran through Esther's spine as she came to the dark room. The entire place was sleeping, filling the area with shadowy dreams. Esther's servants were among the dreaming, as they slept in separate quarters very near her own room. Though they could be dreaming of pleasant things, the remnants left behind were anything but. The night's chill had found it's way into the room, making fear more prominent.

The white curtains of the windows near the door suddenly blew fiercely.

Death had entered. Esther could smell it. Not only were they alive in the darkness of the palace, but she could feel it. The way the cold, bony hands gripped her to asphyxiation let her know that death had entered with no welcoming gesture. It made Esther's very bones shake as she stood like stone at the foot of the hungry staircase.

She hurried to the kitchen, escaping the shadows.

The warmth of one lamp was like the comfort of fifteen lamps, which was very good for Esther. The dim light guided her as she hastily brewed her tea. The smell chased away the lingering aroma of winter demise.

She sighed a happy breath as she looked into her tea before sipping it. The warmth coated her thristy, aching throat. It completely washed out her entire being, vanquishing any trace of cold. A new life stepped into her as she sipped away at her tea.

Suddenly, the wind outside stopped. Esther stopped drinking instantly, her lips frigid in fear. The thin white curtains stopped swaying, resting at the glass. Nothing moved. Nothing made a sound. Esther shivered, pulling the tea further away from her mouth. She was thinking of speaking, but refrained. The darkness was too still; it could jumped up and clutched her throat at any second.

Was death gone? Were her nightmares over?

Esther stood there frozen for a while. She told herself not to move until something made her move.

_"..Esther?.."_

CLANK! Esther's shaking hands let go of the half-filled cup of tea she held as her eyes widened. A loud gasp escaped her lips, burrowed from deep inside her chest. The wind suddenly blew in a swift, calm manner. Tears stung her eyes as she looked around the room, as if something there would help her. Disbelief clouded her vision, in the form of tears. Her heart beat rapidly, relentlessly, non-stop. It was fit to bust. Every bone, every ounce of blood in her body froze, left by a somewhat placid tremble.

However, there was no fear. None at all.

Small sobs arose in from her throat, not quite audible. "F-Father Nightroad?.." she said.

_"Esther..."_

Esther backed up against the wall, closing her eyes. Was this an illusion? Her mind was possibly playing cruel tricks on her, watching her with humored eyes. But how could it be real? It was obvious that she hadn't gotten enough sleep. _Surely Abel isn't.._

Still, she clasped her hands together in prayer. Surely God would guide her. Tears silently streamed down her solemn face. "Father...You are here." She tried to make this as gentle as she could, as gentle as she was able to. The scars on her heart and mind ripped open as time descended without reply of a whisper. Scars that she thought would never fade. She would never be unbroken. She could feel more cries settling in her chest.

Time descended slowly, and she felt cold, lifeless arms curl around her crying, shaking body.

_"..I will always be here for you, my friend.'_

Esther opened her eyes, instantly hit with fire in her pupils. Her eyes puffed and swelled as tears silently streamed out of her soul. She moved not an inch.

"Father Abel..." she said, closing her eyes once again. The feeling of his arms around her was becoming almost too real to stand. She couldn't take it.

_"Goodbye for now, Esther...I will always think of you."_

Abel's voice was ghostly, distant, and paining. Though he was there, he wasn't. It hurt to think of him, even though he was there. Esther shook softly as she cried as the feeling of his arms began to fade. The cold instantly hit her hard once again.

Something inside her clicked.

"...Father?" she said, praying that he hadn't yet fleed. Goodbye had never been this sour.

When he spoke, his voice was nearly gone. It was a mere whisper in a land of screams. _"...Y...Yes, Esther?..."_

Esther clasped her hands together tighter, suppressing too many emotions to count. She stared at one spot outside the window, as though he was there.

But he was.

"..Thank you," she said, her voice breaking.

The last thing she heard was a low chuckle before the white curtains guarding the windows fluttered from his escaping presence.

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**Ah, kind of sappy. Constructive criticism taken.**


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